Washington, D.C. - In a joint announcement today, the offices of Senators Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) and Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) and Congressman Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) confirmed the awarding of a contract to install 200 kilowatts of photovoltaic equipment on the Navy's Hangar Building 54 rooftop at Ford Island.

Hawaii, located strategically in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is home to key military installations. With currently about 90 percent of its energy coming from fossil fuels, Hawaii also experiences some of the highest levels of solar radiation in the United States. The project supports the overall mandate of the Department of Defense to utilize sources of renewable, non-polluting energy and to increase the reliability and security of its energy sources.

This contract represents several years of effort by Hawaii's Congressional delegation, Navy Region Hawaii, the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, and Hawaiian Electric Company to secure federal funding for a photovoltaic demonstration project on Oahu.

"We have been working on this effort for quite some time, and I am pleased to see it finally getting started," Senator Akaka said. "This project is an important benchmark which demonstrates how renewable resources can help us to meet goals for diversifying sources for electricity as we work to ensure our national security."

Senator Daniel K. Inouye added: "This is an exciting collaborative effort for renewable technology development that has the potential to benefit both Hawaii and the U.S. military. Our future must be one in which we harness cutting-edge technology to ensure that we are increasingly less dependent on fossil fuels and foreign fuel sources."

Representative Neil Abercrombie said: "Our Hawaii Congressional team worked hard to secure funding for this important project. It's an investment that promises big dividends in energy efficiency and independence for both the Navy and Hawaii. It shows what we can achieve when government and the private sector work together toward a common goal."

Originally envisioned on a 34 acre site in Ewa, the project was restructured to enable the $2.5 million appropriation to install a large photovoltaic rooftop system in Hawaii's solar environment for the production of electricity. The 200 kilowatt system can provide the equivalent of enough power for an estimated 50 homes.

PowerLight Corporation has been named as the prime contractor; the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Natural Energy Institute will be evaluating output data from the installation, and Hawaiian Electric Company will be assisting the Navy in technical matters related to installation and operation.